Republic of Iraq

Following the victory of Coalition forces in Iraq in 2003 there was an increase in arbitrary detention along with allegations of ill-treatment and torture of Iraqi detainees by United States and United Kingdom military officers under the Coalition Provisional Authority. The media played a particularly important role in uncovering this issue by publishing photographs of detainees being mentally, physically and sexually abused at the Abu Ghraib prison. The UN Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has continued receiving allegations of ill-treatment and torture of detainees by interrogators, including sexual violence since 2006. Attacks on women and girls as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals have taken place since 2014 as a form of “moral cleansing” by armed groups. Sexual torture of women and men has been reported in Iraqi detention facilities.